


Lady of the Manor

by sendcatnipmadam



Series: Halloween Hearts 2020 [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/M, Gothic, Rikunami Week 2020, Romantic Horror, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendcatnipmadam/pseuds/sendcatnipmadam
Summary: After waking up in a stormy forest with no memory and a splitting headache, Riku stumbles across an old mansion to settle in for the night. There he encounters the only inhabitant of this big, mysterious manor, only to find something...wrong about her.
Relationships: Naminé/Riku (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Halloween Hearts 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970770
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Lady of the Manor

**Author's Note:**

> Rikunami Week Day 1: Reunion

He realized that the sound of rain and thunder wasn't in his head when his eyes fluttered open. He really was laying down in the middle of a rainstorm, which would explain why he felt like his body had been floating around underwater and then somehow had resurfaced. Then there was the freezing cold air, which made him want to remain there curled up, but he knew that it wouldn't do him any good staying out here.

Wherever "here" was. 

That was the main issue. He had no idea where he was or how he even got there. He couldn't even remember his own name. He forced himself to sit up, prodding his head for any fragment of a memory that might give him an idea, but found nothing but a slitting headache. He looked around to see if he could catch any hints-given that he was surrounded by trees, he was surrounded by a forest. Through the darkness, he caught a glint of light in the corner of his eye. He reached over an pulled up a silver chain connected to a star-shaped charm. 

_"For Riku"_ was etched on once side. 

Looking at it didn't ring any bells, but he concluded that it was addressed to him, since as far as he knew it was beside him this whole time, therefore it was most likely his. The name "Riku" felt familiar anyways, so he concluded that that was his name. He wondered how in this environment did the charm manage to remain undamaged and clean, still keeping its gilded shine that was almost as mesmerizing as looking at a real shooting star. He guessed that it may have been someone very important to him, but just trying to think about gave him more migraines. He decided not to dwell on it for too long. Not for now, at least. Not when he was sitting in the middle of a stormy forest. He needed to find a shelter and fast. Ideally one that had someone who could tell him where he was and maybe who he, "Riku", was. 

Riku stuffed the watch in his breast pocket and stood up, squinting his eyes for any sign of civilization that might be nearby. He flinched when a thunderclap flashed through his eyes, but as that happened he saw what looked like the roof of a house. With a rush of relief, Riku immediately headed in that direction. Standing in the middle of his path was a tall iron gate, covered in rust. A couple of crows perched on top glanced down at him, and Riku was sure they were watching him. One of them let out out a series of caws, and as if one cue, the gates slowly swung themselves open. Needless to say, Riku was astonished, for there appeared to be nothing or no one controlling the gates. As far as he could tell, they really had moved on their own. 

Up close, the house was much larger than expected, turning out to be some sort of manor that looked like it had fallen victim to years of neglect. An overgrowth of weeds, wildflowers, and grass infested the entire lawn, weathering away the stone pathway that lead to the front door. Broken marble statues and pillars littered the lawn. Ivy climbed up the cracked, moss-covered walls. Windows were either covered in grime or completely broken. Tattered remains of curtains fluttered erratically in the wind. For a moment, Riku thought he could see a shadow standing behind one of them, but in a single blink it was gone. 

As Riku stepped through the entrance, he jumped as even more crows squawked at him while fluttering their wings wildly. He peaked into the grass where they were huddled to find them feeding on the carcass of a white rabbit. It must've been there for quite some time, meaning that the chance of someone living here was very slim. Either that, or they aren't very responsible or bother to leave their rundown home. 

_Poor thing,_ Riku thought as he watched the crows peck away at its bared ribs and vacant eye sockets. He wondered how such a creature could meet a fate like that in a place like this, but he knew that pondering about a dead animal was pointless, moving on up to the stairway.

The way the rotten wood groaned beneath his footsteps made him think that it would break under his weight any moment. The doorknob, which must've been shiny and gold once, was a tarnished brown color. Riku gave a light knock and the door moved slightly with a creak. He pushed it fully open to a dark, quiet hallway. When he was completely inside, the door suddenly slammed behind him. Unsettling, to say the least, but he decided for the sake of rationality that it was the wind that had closed it and kept going.

Cobwebs and dust bunnies littered the floors and walls, and the creaking floorboards wouldn't cease, leaving him irritated as it seemed to worsen his migraine. Didn't help that the storm seemed to worsen outside, with the thunder rumbling more loudly and the lightning gaining more frequency. The howling wind sounded like a chorus of tortured souls. Tiny squeaks and scratching noises could be heard in the walls, indicating that the house suffered from infestation. 

Riku eventually reached a main hall, sitting at his left a fireplace that contained nothing but burnt wood and ash. To his left was a long stairway leading to a second floor. Right in front of him was a large, golden-framed portrait. Looking closer, it appeared to be a young woman in a long white dress, possibly a former resident of this mansion. Lightning flashed and for a split second Riku could see her pale, youthful face. Her blonde, wavy hair. Her lavender eyes. Her sad, timid smile. 

Riku wanted to come closer to the picture, drawn by the sense of familiarity it gave, only to wince as a sharp pain throbbed in his head. He staggered and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rebalance himself, but the blonde's image was still there, etching itself into his mind. Somewhere inside him Riku knew that girl wasn't just smiling for a painting. She was smiling for him. _At_ him. He wanted to reach out for her. To caress her face and hear her voice once more....

Only for her to vanish as quick as she came. 

Riku's eyes opened again, fallen on his knees. He looked back up at the painting, silently pleading for the woman to tell him something, anything, that would tell him what was going on. But only the painting's ghostly smile answered him back. As he got back up, he heard footsteps echoing behind him, and turned to see a figure walking down the stairs. As he watched her, Riku's head spun with a myriad of questions, resulting in a mild ache. He tried to speak, but for some reason his voice wouldn't work. He opened his mouth but his throat wouldn't cooperate, seeming to be frozen in place. He placed a hand to his neck, noticing its roughness and lack of vibration. 

Before he could look into it further, the figure halted at the foot of the stairs, and through the dark Riku could make out a petite, womanly figure. Although her outfit was dirty and in tatters, Riku recognized the lady's dress as the one in the painting. Again the questions swarmed to his tongue, but they would never be spoken. Had this woman been here the whole time? For how long? How come everything looked like it was abandoned for years when she herself was still here? No lady would ever want to place herself in a house as grim and decrepit as this, and yet, looking closely, Riku realized that something was off about this girl. 

Something.... _wrong._

As if to confirm this speculation, several flashes of lightning lit up the room, giving Riku time to properly see the lady's face. 

Her ashen, rotted face. Cheeks sunken to the point where her cheekbones could be seen. Bottom lip hung open, showing a glimpse of rotten teeth and a dried, shriveled up tongue. Around her neck was a bluish ring, an imprint of something that was tied around her neck. Through her disheveled, straw-colored hair stared a pair of silvery vacant eyes. 

It all spelt itself clearly to Riku. Of course this woman wouldn't care about living in an old, ruined mansion-the only woman that wouldn't was a dead one. 

At one point Riku should've screamed, but his lips only trembled as the scream wouldn't even manifest. Instead he slowly backed away as the corpse stiffly walked towards him, arms outstretched. He didn't know what she wanted with him, but he certainly didn't want to find out. He turned and set towards the front door from where he came, only to be intercepted by a swarm of bats that flew from above. Additionally, rats scurried about the floor, almost as if trying to block Riku's path. With no other way to go, Riku charged into another hallway.

Or at least, he tried to. 

It wasn't until now did he realize how stiff and heavy his legs felt until he attempted to speed up. It almost felt like he was going the same sped as the corpse trudging after him. At least he didn't have to worry about the pesky rodents, as they apparently were only interesting in blocking his entrance, which meant he need to find an exit. He turned a corner and plodded his way into another doorway, where was a large room with rows of shelves filled with books big and small. Hopefully, he could lose his pursuer in here, he thought. 

Riku quickly limped his way into the maze of bookshelves, turning left, then right, then right again, than left, hoping that his wayward wandering could get the woman off his track. Glancing behind him, she was no where to be seen, but he could still hear the sound of heels clopping across the floor. He needed to get out of this library and quick. As stiff as he felt, Riku didn't exactly feel tired, so he thankfully had no reason to rest. Navigating his way back to where he'd come from without getting caught was no easy feat, especially when the constant pattering rain and pounding thunder overlapped the lady's footsteps, increasing the uncertainty of whether or not he had truly lost her. Every shadow that danced across the shelves from each lightning strike made Riku think that it was that undead lady. 

Finally he reached another door, its closed doors meaning that it was another doorway. How ridiculously large this mansion was, despite seemingly being in the middle of nowhere. While reaching for the handles, Riku froze when lightning cast another shadow on the door, this one clearly being that of a human. He didn't even bother looking behind-he could practically feel her closing in on him, her footsteps slow yet menacing. He yanked on the doors with all his might. Something told him that they shouldn't have been this heavy, and his strength shouldn't be this weak. 

He heard the shriek of a bat and the unseen flying creature fluttered around his head, battered at his eyes, nipped at his hair. Riku staggered, feebly flailing his arms until he bumped into a shelf. When the bat finally flew away, Riku's head suddenly jerked downwards, and he saw that a book had landed on his head and was now lying on the ground covered in a dark red substance. Riku placed a hand where the book had landed, his hair feeling moist and sticky. He pulled out with his fingers covered in the exact same substance. 

Blood. It was all blood. And by the looks of it, it wasn't drawn by the book. Riku definitely had this wound for a while, which would explain the migraines. 

He glanced at the corpse lady, who seemed to be watching him in silence. The way she looked at him it almost seemed like she was expecting something of him. 

But what? _What?_

Riku's headache was now becoming unbearable as he wracked his mind, knowing that deep within his conscience was the answer he was looking for. The scattered pieces of an incomplete puzzle. As if reading his thoughts, the lady turned and mechanically lifted an arm, her index finger pointed at a tall, dusty mirror. Riku sauntered toward, unsure what to expect from what he will see. 

Not that it mattered what his expectations were, because reality was much more frightening than them. 

He never noticed how much his clothes had been ruined, caked in dirt and blood. His head was painted a dark red, all coming from a large gash near the front. His face was deathly grey and covered in scratches, and the rest of the skin had decayed and clung to the bones of his cheeks. His eyes had sunken and glazed into a murky grey. They definitely weren't supposed to be that color. None of these greys and reds shouldn't be seen anywhere on his body, yet here they were. 

And at that moment, it all came back to him. 

_It all came back to him._

_The sound of rain gave way to the growl of a motor, set to maximum by a pedal pressed by a large foot. The road ahead was blurred by the tears flowing from his eyes. The map was crushed between a clenched hand and the steering wheel as he speeded through. He could feel his heart racing and his pulse rushing through his knuckles. He could feel the wind and rain smacking his red, swollen eyes. He could feel the lump in his throat formed by rage and despair and grief. He could feel his gut clenching and breath catching in a gasp when he saw the headlight shine on an unsuspecting deer. The whiplash from his sudden turn. The brief sensation of weightlessness when the automobile flew off the edge. The crashing and tumbling that came right after. His body being jerked around like a ragdoll. The searing pain in his head, his hand, his body. The rolling coming to a dead stop._

_Somehow, through a last bout of energy, he clawed his way out from the wreck. He weakly stood up, dragging himself on, because he was so close, so close, to his destination. It was right there. She was right there. She needed to be right there. Alive and well. Because that would tell him that the rumors weren't true. That the letter wasn't true. That she hadn't died. That she wasn't hanged for an arbitrary crime. The proof was in the star-shaped charm, the treasure that he clutched onto more than his ebbing life, that would bring them back together. It wasn't true, he told himself as he limped on. It wasn't true. It wasn't true. But even with all the drive and desperation his spirit had, his battered, pathetic body just couldn't follow through. He collapsed then and there, his last breath a quiet sob, for the charm had slipped out of his fingers, and he didn't have any strength left to retrieve it._

_And that was how he died._

That was how Riku died. 

Riku looked back at the lady, no, his _love._ He looked at the bruise around her neck. So the letter he was sent was no lie. His fiancee really had been accused of witchcraft and was sentenced to death for such. How he wished he had been there to save her from such a cruel fate. It tore him up knowing that Death had claimed her too soon. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting her face, her smile, her name. Her special, unforgettable name, Namine. 

Namine. Namine. _Namine._

Oh, how badly he wanted to say her name again, but alas, the dead don't talk, do they? As a walking corpse, Riku had no voice to speak. No heart to beat. No tears to cry. Namine slowly walked toward him, and this time Riku let her, for there was no fear or confusion left. She took his hand, cold and stiff, just like hers, and placed on his chest. Understanding her gesture, Riku reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the star-shaped charm, still shiny and glinting in a gilded twinkle. The etched signature still in that beautiful, recognizable handwriting. This gift that Namine had given him was so breathtaking, so wonderfully crafted, that one could've thought it truly was enchanted, tying them closer than a measly wedding ring ever could. 

Of course, that was it, wasn't it? 

The charm had somehow brought them back from their deaths, giving them a second chance for reunion. Namine's decaying lips stretched in what must've been a smile, confirming the speculation. With a wave of her hand, the doors behind Riku swung open to the outside. Strolling outside together, Namine lead Riku through a graveyard, the rows of tombstones weathered and cracked, with names barely decipherable. Waiting for them was a pure white coffin, larger than Riku had ever seen. It was decorated with flowers of blue, purple, and white. For a final resting place, it was quite pretty. 

Riku stepped inside, noticing that it was big enough for too people. So he was brought back only to be returned to an eternal slumber as he naturally should be. He wouldn't have it any other way, now that the love of his life was now at his side once again, joining Death's cloak along with him. Riku turned around and offered his hand out to Namine, who took it without another second to waste, and lay down in the coffin along with him.

And there lay the engaged couple Riku and Namine, separate in life, but together in death. 

**Author's Note:**

> Setting this event during the month of Halloween was practically begging me to turn these two into zombies.


End file.
